Wichita eagle., 1887-07-01
THE PRODUCTION OF BEEF.

while the cattle business is nowhere
what it used to be, and many have lost
very heavily" said a well known ranchman
to Globe Democrat reporter, there is
much that is encouraging about the situa
ton, the unfortunate condition of affairs at
the present time being largely due to mis-
management and to removable causes
Some of the cattlemen were wise and far
sighted enough to recognize the changed
conditions that prevail in the cattle trade,
financial condition and are in no danger of
thought that the old system could
a rude awakening from their delusion, and
many have been irretrievably ruined. The
cattle trade, like all other branches of in
dustry, has shown steady progress toward
isolation of interests and division of labor.
When the plains ranches were first estab-
lisbed on the old buffalo grazing grounds,
ana ranges were practically unlimited, the
plan of running what was known as mixed
herds, that is of combining the business of
breeder and fattener, was found to answer
very we'll But as time went On and free
grass became scarce, this plan was found
to be bad one. Some were quick to per
ceive the coming change. and to prepare
for it. These men say that the business of
breeder and fattener mus be sep
arated. They accordingly sold their
cows and bulls, and bought
only yearling steers, which were
allowed to run on the range until maturity,
and then were sold for beef, and fresh
stock bought In this way the grass eaten
by unmsrketable cows and calves was saved.
and thus turned into good beef. The
plains north of the Arkansas were found
to be more excellent for fattening Texas
warnings, and it was found more profitable
to buy Southern cattle and mature them on
the Northern plains than to run mixed
herds. The Texas men saw this, and a
large number gave up raising beef cattle,
combining themselves to selling yearlings to
the northern maturers. By thus dividing
the business, the profits were largelu in
creased. the breeder avoiding the loss sus-
tanned during the severe northern winters.
and the fattener getting the advantage of
the nourishing buffalo grass of the high
plains.
A third division. The cattle trade was
thus divided into two distinct branches,
the breeding and the faitening. Within
the last two or three years still another
subdivision has been made, and the finisher
has come into existence As agriculture
moved westward. and as the plains of
Nebraska became covered with corn, ii
was found most profitable to sell this corn
in the form of beef Not wishing to throw
il away on immature cattle, the farmer
bought . aud 3-year old steers of the est.
tlemen. fed them a year on corn, and then
ssld them By this triple process a far
finer beef steer was produced than was
possible under the mixed herd system.
where COWS. steers and calves all received
like treatment. The breeder. maturer and
fiuisher all made money, while the owner
of the mixed herd, unable 10 meet this
combination of advantages, steadily lost.
and is still losing
Not the lesst Of the advantages OF this di.
vision of labor in production is the ease
with which either maturer or fiDisher can
Quit the business without loss, should
circumstances arise rendering such course
advisable II the maturer sees his range
encroached upon by advancing settlements.
he can sell every head of stock at good
price, and turn his attention to other mat
tiers. The finisher can do the same. but
not the owner of the mixed herd. This